Vegan Miso Ramen
It has a rich umami flavor and a hint of spiciness. It includes meaty king oyster mushroom “scallops”, corn kernels, marinated bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts. This one takes a little bit of time but the techniques are easy and the result is really rewarding.
Servings: 2 bowls
Ingredients
- 2 servings fresh ramen noodles
Broth
- 2 Tablespoons peanut oil or toasted sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated or minced
- 1/2 medium onion minced
- 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed and discarded; caps minced
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds ground in spice mill, mortar and pestle, or food processor
- 3 Tablespoons miso
- 1 Tablespoon doubanjiang
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 piece kombu 2x4 inches (5x10 centimeters)
- 2-4 dried shiitake mushrooms see note
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
King Oyster Mushroom “Scallops”
- 1/2 pound king oyster mushrooms (250 grams)
- 2-4 dried shiitake mushrooms see note
- 1 piece kombu 2x4 inches (5x10 centimeters)
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon plant-based butter
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Toppings
- 1/4 cup canned corn kernels drained
- 2 green onions just the green part; chopped finely
- 3 ounces bean sprouts
- 4 ounces menma
- 2 slices plant-based butter
Instructions
Cook the broth
- Heat the peanut (or sesame oil) in a heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic, ginger, onion, and minced fresh shiitake mushroom caps. Stir until the onion becomes soft, about 5 minutes, taking care not to let the oil get too hot and caramelize the ingredients.
- Add the sesame seeds, miso, and doubanjiang. Stir well to mix with the other ingredients and gently toast the pastes, about 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, kombu, and shiitake mushrooms. When the broth returns to a gentle boil, reduce to low heat and cover. Cook this way for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
- You’ll want to stir the nutritional yeast into the broth right before serving.
Cook the “Scallops”
- Heat the second batch of dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu with the three cups of water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- While the simmering liquid heats up, cut the king oyster mushrooms. Slice them into approximately scallop-shaped pieces, i.e. segments that are about as long as they are wide. Gently slice a cross-hatch pattern into the flat sides of each piece, as shown in the photos.
- When the simmering liquid begins to boil, add the king oyster mushrooms. When the water boils again, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the king oyster mushrooms from the broth. You can eat or discard the kombu and (now rehydrated) shiitake mushrooms. Save the broth for use in any savory soup.
- Heat the plant-based butter in a small bowl in the microwave until melted, 10-20 seconds. Add the soy sauce into the same small bowl. Stir to mix well.
- Heat a medium-sized heavy skillet, preferably cast iron or carbon steel, over medium-high heat. When hot, add the king oyster mushrooms. Cook until the flat sides of each mushroom piece are dark golden brown, 3-5 minutes, flipping as needed.
- Add the plant-butter-soy-sauce mixture to the skillet. Use a spoon to baste the mushrooms with the butter. Use a spatula to quickly stir and scrape up the bits that get stuck to the skillet. Remove from heat and transfer the “scallops” to a plate or bowl.
Boil the noodles and bean sprouts
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package, or a bit less. For reference, the noodles I used prescribed a 2.5-minute boil time, but I only need about 1.5 minutes until they were al dente.
- Remove the noodles from the water and drain them.
- Add the bean sprouts into the same boiling water. Boil until soft, about 1 minute. Remove the sprouts from the water and drain them.
Assemble the Ramen Bowls
- Right before serving, stir the nutritional yeast into the ramen broth and turn off the heat.
- Divide the noodles evenly among the serving bowls. Add equal amounts of menma, corn, “scallops”, green onion, and bean sprouts onto the noodles.
- Pour equal amounts of broth into each bowl. You can strain the broth for a smoother texture, if you like.
- Garnish each bowl with a small slice of plant-based butter. Serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe makes 4 small bowls or 2 meal-sized bowls of noodles.
Dried shiitake mushrooms come in different sizes. The ones I used were about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter and I used 4 of them in the ramen broth and 4 in the simmering liquid for the “scallops”. If your dried mushrooms are larger than this, you can use 2 or 3 of them in each of those cases.
The doubanjiang will make the soup slightly spicy. If you prefer a non-spicy broth, you can replace the doubanjiang with the same amount of miso.
If you do want your ramen spicy, especially spicy, you can garnish with Japanese chili oil (la yu).
The photos in the blog post show bowls with not much broth in them. Feel free to add much more broth than shown here.
If you don’t finish the ramen, separate the noodles and other ingredients from the broth and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. This will help prevent the noodles from getting too soggy.
Dried shiitake mushrooms come in different sizes. The ones I used were about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter and I used 4 of them in the ramen broth and 4 in the simmering liquid for the “scallops”. If your dried mushrooms are larger than this, you can use 2 or 3 of them in each of those cases.
The doubanjiang will make the soup slightly spicy. If you prefer a non-spicy broth, you can replace the doubanjiang with the same amount of miso.
If you do want your ramen spicy, especially spicy, you can garnish with Japanese chili oil (la yu).
The photos in the blog post show bowls with not much broth in them. Feel free to add much more broth than shown here.
If you don’t finish the ramen, separate the noodles and other ingredients from the broth and store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. This will help prevent the noodles from getting too soggy.